Pink gin is very popular these days, and it certainly looks pretty in the glass, but what exactly is it? How is it different to ordinary London Dry gin (besides the colour!)? Read on and we’ll give you the low down on what pink gin actually is!
There's No Easy Answer
There isn’t a strict definition of what pink gin actually is – it’s a term used to refer to quite a few different types of gin, and even a gin cocktail! None of those are wrong answers so to speak, so it gets a bit complicated!
Essentially, if it’s gin (or predominantly gin) and it’s pink, you can probably call it pink gin. Typically these days it means any gin that’s been infused with any variety of red fruits during and after the distillation process.
Pink gins don’t contain any added sugar, so whilst they’re a little sweeter than a London Dry, thanks to those juicy fruit infusions, they’re still clearly gin, and are the same strength ABV as London Dry gin.
The exception to the pink rule is gin liqueurs – if it’s pink, gin based, but with loads of added sugar to create a sweet, flavoured, lower ABV drink, it’s a gin liqueur, and not a pink gin (even if it does look pink).
Originally a Sailors' Drink
When it first hit the scene, pink gin was regular gin with a dash of Angostura Bitters added, which gave it a delicate pink colour. Whilst this cocktail has lost favour recently in favour of fruitier gins, many still enjoy this traditional cocktail, and it’s still known as pink gin.
It’s believed that this version of pink gin was invented by sailors, as a way to combat sea sickness. Angostura Bitters was used as a sea sickness remedy, but on it’s own, it can be a tricky one to swallow (try it, you’ll see!). To get around this and make the Bitters more palatable, sailors took to adding it to gin, thus inventing a tasty drink!
How To Drink It
You can drink pink gin in just as many different ways as London Dry gin! Whether you prefer it simple with tonic, or mixed up in a cocktail there’s plenty of options to get you started!
If you’re not sure what kind of pink gin to try, check out our guide on the best pink gins around! We’ve done the research so all you’ve got to do is the drinking! We’ve even got some pink gins in our shop, to make things even easier!
And of course we’ve got a selection of pink gin cocktail recipes over in our cocktail recipes section. Have a browse and find your new signature drink now!
